


Street Magician

by kimurasato



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-13
Updated: 2016-01-21
Packaged: 2018-01-24 13:43:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1607228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimurasato/pseuds/kimurasato
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny spends the day with Danielle, wandering the park of Vlad's hometown when they come across someone that unexpectedly catches Danny's attention.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pick a Card

**Author's Note:**

> I blame this idea on Fastpacedfreefall on tumblr, who reblogged a Klaine gif set with the scenario of Kurt visiting New York City and meeting street magician Blaine. And I had just watched Now You See Me, so the whole idea of magicians was filling my brain.

"We still have a few hours before we're supposed to meet Vlad for dinner," Danielle said, checking their schedule on her phone. Her bright blue eyes snapped up from the phone to turn onto the man walking beside her. "Is there anything you want to do until then?"

Danny stopped staring at the falling leaves, all orange and red in the colors of autumn. He blinked at the woman beside him. She apparently didn't get luck with the height gene in their family because she barely reached to his shoulders. A grin twitched at his mouth. "I'm surprised you haven't been blathering on about seeing Valerie tonight." His eyebrows lifted as he watched her cheeks turn a light shade of pink. "Unless I _really_ wasn't paying attention just now."

Danielle rolled her eyes. "Well, I can say with absolute certainty that you weren't paying even the slightest bit of attention." She tucked her phone back into the pocket of her coat. "What are you zoning out about?"

Danny shrugged, glancing around as they strolled along the street through the park. "Just bored, I guess." He sighed when he caught the confusion on Danielle's face. "We travel back and forth from Amity Park to Wisconsin, and everything is always just business talk. I guess I'm just bored with never having anything outside of work to do." He supposed he could always go out at night, but it sounded dull to him going out alone. There was always some sort of paperwork to busy himself with too, as an excuse to stay in at night.

Danielle tilted her head slightly to the side and downward as she lifted a single eyebrow at him. "We're not doing anything work related right now." She stretched out her arms, gesturing to the park around them. "And like I just said, we've got a few hours to kill. So instead of being a gloomy Gus, let's do something fun!"

Danny bowed his head with a soft chuckle. Sometimes he forgot how different they really were. He, as she said, tended to be a gloomy Gus, too serious and stressed himself out over work. Danielle was much more relaxed and always up for having a good time. Maybe he did need to loosen up a little more often.

"Well, since you're the party expert, why don't you pick something for us to do?" Danny held an arm out to his side, bowing slightly to her.

Danielle punched him in the shoulder, and Danny rubbed at the spot she struck. He would fake being hurt, but Danielle was strong and sometimes forgot to pull her punches. "Okay. Give me a moment." She bit her lower lip as her gaze slowly roamed the park street for something of interest. "Oh!" A wide grin spread over her face as she grabbed hold of his hand, pulling him along behind her. "Look. A street performer!"

The man that they stopped before was about the same height as Danny. The dark hooded sweatshirt he wore didn't hide his broad shoulders or his muscular physique. The corner of his mouth pulled upward as he bowed to them. "Good day." He turned out his hand, a single rose appearing suddenly as if from thin air. "A lovely lady should always be showered with beautiful flowers."

Danny almost wanted to groan at the cheesy smile the man gave Danielle, who blushed lightly as she accepted the rose from the street performer. "He probably just had it hidden up his sleeve," he said to Danielle. "Sleight of hand and all that is how street magic works."

"Oh? So you're expert then?" the man questioned, shuffling a deck of cards that Danny had missed from where he pulled it. The smile remained on his face as his aqua green eyes dipped briefly, taking in the full height of Danny's body in one quick sweep.

Danny felt his own cheeks warming as he locked gazes with the man. There was something different in the smile he gave Danny that left a strange fluttering inside him. "What's to know?" He shrugged, trying not to show how the man affected him. "You just use misdirection to trick people. Magic isn't real."

"Is that really what you believe?" He held the cards fanned out between them. "Go ahead and pick one."

Danny frowned suspiciously as he eyed the cards. Taking hold of the man's wrist, he twisted his hands up so that he could see the face side of the cards. The street magician showed no sign of this action bothering him. When he saw that the deck wasn't fixed so that all the cards were the same, Danny gave in and drew one from near the center of the deck, trying to work out the trick in his mind.

"Got it memorized?" The street magician smiled, and Danny realized that he hadn't really taken his aqua green eyes off him since after giving Danielle the rose.

Blue eyes flicked down to the card in his hand: the ace of hearts. "And now I just slip it back into the deck and you chat me up a bit, pretending to shuffle the deck well, then magically you pull my card right out?"

"Stop being so mean," Danielle muttered, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Would you prefer to shuffle it yourself?" The street perform folded the deck into a single stack and held it out for him to take.

Danny eyed him cautiously for a moment. The man really wasn't that bad looking. When he smiled, he had these little dimples in his bronze cheeks. The bangs of his raven hair were short and peeking out messily from the hood raised over his head. His aqua green eyes danced with life. Danny felt his cheeks warming yet again and shot a glare at Danielle when he heard her trying to hide a laugh behind a cough. Frowning in his skepticism over the idea of magic, Danny took the deck from the street magician and started shuffling his card into it. After several moments of shuffling, he handed the deck back, keeping his gaze locked with the street magician the entire time.

"Now then," the man said, his cheerful disposition never seeming to fade as he fanned out the cards, "can you find your card?" He tilted his head with curiosity in his eyes as he held the cards out for the pair to see the face side of the deck.

Danny frowned as he scanned through the cards, but the ace of hearts seemed to have mysteriously disappeared. Danielle leaned in beside him to look at the cards too.

"Hey!" Danielle said, turning her eyes to Danny before glancing to the street magician. "His card isn't there."

"It's not?" Puzzlement crossed the street magician's face as he turned the cards around to look at them himself. "Ah!" He nodded with a smile. "That's right. Your card wouldn't be in the deck." He grinned, tucking the cards into his pocket. Then he bowed his head toward Danny. "Perhaps you should check your pockets."

Danny shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat then checked his jean pockets. His mouth pressed further into a frown as he felt something in his left pocket. Pulling the item out, he held up the ace of hearts. "Clever." He handed it back to the man. "But I still don't believe in magic."

The street magician shook his head. "Keep it. Perhaps you'll think of me when you're sitting under the moonlight."

Danny's brow pinched together as he twisted the card in his fingers, half tempted to just flick it at the man before walking away. His jaw set firmly, and he dropped his gaze to the card. Despite that he didn't believe magic was anything but sleight of hand and misdirection, he couldn't deny that man was attractive, and when the street magician smiled at him, Danny felt something inside him that he hadn't in a long time. Perhaps the keepsake was worth taking with him.

"We should probably get going," Danny said, pocketing the card. "We still have things to do before tonight."

The street magician bowed to them with a flourish of one hand rolling at the wrist as he bent over. Danny nudged the woman into walking as he moved away from the man. After they were a few feet away, he dared to toss a look over his shoulder, but the street magician had vanished.

"He was pretty cute." Danielle grinned as he nudged him in the ribs with her elbow.

"And what are the chances I'd ever see him again?" Danny snorted, but his question made him frown. He visited Wisconsin often enough for business with Vlad, but the chances of running into a random street magician again, one that he didn't even know the name of, were slim to none. His fingers absently ran over the card in his pocket as they walked toward the exit of the park.

The dinner with Vlad was, as usual, long and boring with nothing but talk about business. The food was good though, as Vlad only went to the fanciest of restaurants. When he glanced over occasionally during the dinner, he saw Danielle was deep in conversation with Valerie and had to resist rolling his eyes as the two women flirted under the guise of working. He truly was happy for the couple, but sometimes, he couldn't deny the little bit of jealousy eating at his heart. Danielle had fallen fast into love with Valerie when they met years ago on their first visit to Wisconsin to seek a meeting with Vlad. Despite living states apart, the two women were making it work, and Danny knew eventually Danielle would probably move to Wisconsin to be with Valerie full time. He really wished that he had someone for which he felt that passionately.

Danny leaned on the railing of the balcony of his hotel room. Vlad had offered to let them stay in his castle, which of course had plenty of room for guests, but Danny hated the idea of imposing upon a business partner. After dinner, he returned to his room while Danielle went off somewhere to spend time alone with Valerie. It was still early in the evening, but here he was being his usual boring self and just hanging out in his hotel room when there was a whole city to explore before they had to leave in the morning. He stuck his hand into his pocket to find the card from earlier that day. Bringing it out, he stared at it in wonder as the street magician's comment replayed in his mind.

"Perhaps you'll think of me when you're sitting under the moonlight."

That seemed an odd thing to say. What did he mean by it? Danny held the card above him, staring at the face side. Then he blinked as it slowly morphed, the hearts and As vanishing as a message replaced them.

"Call me," Danny murmured, lifting an eyebrow at the card. His mouth pursed slightly at the numbers that followed the words. Temptation got the better of him, and he pulled out his phone to quickly dial the number.

"Hello," answered the man, his voice still standing out in Danny's mind.

"Uh," Danny swallowed, a lump suddenly forming in his throat as his heart hiccupped in his chest, "we met this afternoon." He felt completely stupid, raking a hand through his raven locks. "Maybe you don't remember. You probably meet a lot of people doing that whole street magician thing." He shook his head. "I shouldn't have called. You probably do that card trick with dozens of people."

"No," the man said with a light chuckle. "You're the first I've given that card to. I was hoping to hear from you. I'm surprised it was so soon though."

Heat rose to his cheeks despite the chill of the night. Danny regretted his decision. He probably seemed like an utter fool to the man. "How do I know you don't say that to everyone you've given that card to?"

"You don't trust people all that much, do you?"

Danny shifted awkwardly, his gaze darting about the little balcony. "We _did_ only just meet. And why should I think a street magician will tell me the truth? Isn't magic all about deceiving an audience?"

"How about you give me the chance to convince you that I'm not a liar?"

Even over the phone, Danny could see the smile on the man's face. The image was burned into his mind after their encounter in the park.

"How about a drink?" the street magician asked. "There's this great little bar not too far from the park that we could meet up at. If you're interested."

Danny licked his lips, letting the options roll around in his head for a while. He had already gotten up the courage just to give the man a call. Why not keep going? He couldn't lie to himself. He wanted to see the man again, and tonight was his last chance before the plane ride back to Amity Park in the morning. "What's the name of it?"

"Prestige." He said it with a smile in his voice, and Danny felt a rush of excitement at the thought of seeing the man again.


	2. Gold Letters and Amber Drinks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prestige doesn't look like much, but Danny pushes past his nerves and enters the bar.

Danny stood outside the door, staring up at the sign hanging over it with the word Prestige scrawled out in delicate gold cursive lettering. Beyond that, there wasn't much special about the building with an old looking black door. He had come all the way down here and froze at the door. Swallowing thickly, he tried to push himself to enter the bar. What did he really have to lose? Maybe the man met him and decided that Danny wasn't worth his time after all and told him to get lost. Or maybe he wouldn't even show up. Danny laughed bitterly at that idea. What a way to trick a tourist. Pretending to do a magic trick to dupe him into thinking the man might be interested in him only to lead him to a setup at some bar. The people beyond the door would probably laugh the minute he entered, enjoying the joke played on him, if they were in on it.

"Always so cynical." Danny could hear Danielle's voice echoing in his ears. She always pointed out whenever he was being negative about something.

After taking a deep breath, Danny released it slowly then pulled open the door to the bar. If he was ever going to find happiness and love like Danielle, then he had to start breaking out of the shell he put up around himself and start meeting people outside of work. And the street magician was pretty cute. Danny flushed lightly at that thought as he stepped into the bar.

Danny half expected to be immediately assaulted by the strong, stinging scent of cigarette smoke, but the air was thankfully clean. Music filled the bar, a woman sitting on a stool on a raised platform at the back of the bar. She strummed an acoustic guitar while she sang a sultry song that Danny didn't recognize. Her bright blue hair hung loosely, draping over her shoulders. She had that kind of voice that simply drew a person in and made them want to listen to her sing all day long.

"I don't believe I've ever seen your face around here."

Danny tore his gaze away from the singer and turned to stare at the man that had come up beside him. He was about the same height as Danny, though he looked several years older. The strip of bright purple hair, that probably could have made a wicked looking Mohawk, hung limply to the right side of his pale face. The sleeveless black top he wore showed off the myriad of tattoos covering his arms. He held a cigarette in his left hand, and Danny waited to be hit with the noxious odor of it, but he only smelled a pleasant aroma, like the scent of the cookies his mother would sometimes bake. The man's lips curled into a smirk as he stared at Danny.

"Uh, I'm just-" Danny struggled to speak, feeling a little dizzy. "I'm meeting someone."

The man lifted his eyebrows. "Oh?" He shifted, moving half a step closer and invading Danny's personal space. "You sure you wouldn't rather come chat with me instead?" He lifted his hand, the cigarette held out between them with its smoke twisting and curling in the air before fading into nothing as it rose higher in the air. Then the cigarette suddenly exploded in a cloud of dark purple smoke that shimmered with the illusion of stars. The man cursed as he shook out his hand, but he didn't seem to be hurt by that small explosive.

"Sorry, but I don't think he's interested in that little trick of yours."

Danny turned his head to find the street magician from earlier that day. The man still wore the hood up, and his aqua green eyes narrowed at the tattooed man, a grim expression upon his face. Danny might not have had a clue what was going on, but he could feel the tension between the two men.

"Tch! Whatever," grumbled the tattooed man with a sneer at the street magician. He strolled off without another word, probably searching out an easier target, for whatever he had planned.

"Sorry about him," the street magician said, his expression turning apologetic as he frowned. "He's always on the prowl."

Danny nodded, but he wasn't sure what to say in response to that.

"I already got us a table." The street magician led the way through the bar to a booth close to the platform where the singer still performed. But when they sat down, the sound outside their booth seemed to quiet, only a muffle of noise reaching them. A glass of frothy amber liquid sat before the street magician. "I was going to order for you, but I thought you'd probably prefer to order for yourself."

"A regular beer will be fine." Danny watched as the man turned toward the bar and snapped his fingers. When he got one of the bartender's attention, he held up one finger then returned his attention to the man sitting across from him. "I guess we should start with introductions," Danny said, realizing he didn't even know the man's name, and he wanted to be able to call him something other than "the street magician." "I'm Danny Fenton."

"Kwan Long." He wore a bright smile, his eyes gleaming with delight. "You don't strike me a local. What brings you here?"

"Business," Danny answered as a woman stopped by their table with a second glass of the same frothy amber beer. Her emerald eyes flicked toward Danny, glancing him over with a smile. When she turned toward Kwan, she mouthed, "He's cute," then left them alone. Danny couldn't stop his cheeks from burning and tried to hide the blush by taking a sip of his beer.

Kwan nodded, a faint smile ghosting across his face. "And that woman with you today," he said, leaning his chin into his hand, "I'm guessing she's your sister."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Not hard to guess. We do look a lot alike." He tapped his finger upon the glass. "Uh, so, you've done the street magician thing for a while?"

Kwan shrugged. "All my life really. I got into the magic thing when I was little."

Danny blinked. "And your parents are okay with it?" He couldn't imagine his parents being happy if he ran off to perform magic for people on the streets. He could still remember how ecstatic they were when he agreed to take over the business someday. They had always hoped to keep it in the family, and when his older sister Jazz decided to become a psychologist, their parents prayed that either he or Danielle would want to take over the business. Danielle mostly came with him on business trips because she knew how forgetful he could be about meetings if he didn't have someone to remind him when they were.

Kwan laughed, shaking his head. "Oh no. My parents hated it. I haven't spoken to them since I was in high school."

"I'm sorry." Danny frowned. "Do you miss them?"

Kwan shrugged. "Sometimes. But," he glanced around the bar, "I've got a family here, so I'm okay."

"And you've really never done that card trick to anyone else before?" Danny gave the man a doubtful look.

"You're the first."

"How did you make it react to moonlight like that?" Danny was curious. He really couldn't figure out that trick.

"Trade secret." Kwan wore a mysterious smile that made Danny eye him with suspicion.

"What if I never looked at it while under the moonlight? I'm only visiting here. Tomorrow I'd be on my way back home."

"I thought I'd take the chance." Kwan smiled, but there was a hint of sadness that flickered in his eyes at the thought that he might have missed a chance with Danny if he hadn't discovered the message. "You were just too cute when I saw you walking through the park with your sister." He grinned more fully when Danny almost choked on his beer, cheeks burning brightly. "I wanted to get to know you more."

"If you ask my sister," Danny mumbled with the blush still upon his cheeks, "there isn't really much to know."

"You shouldn't sell yourself short." Kwan suddenly stood up. "Come on. I'm going to show you-"

"If you start singing _A Whole New World_ , I will throw my beer at you," Danny said in a flat, serious tone.

Kwan shook his head with a chuckle. "I was going to say the town." He held out a hand toward Danny as he stood at the end of the table. "If you're really leaving tomorrow, you might as well experience as much as you can before you go."

Danny hesitated a second. He didn't usually run off to explore the town with someone he just met, but he also didn't grab a beer with someone he hardly knew either. Taking the man's hand, he allowed Kwan to pull him to his feet, and they nearly stood chest to chest. Danny turned his gaze away with a light tinge of color upon his face. He was glad Danielle wasn't there too because she would probably be teasing him mercilessly about liking the street magician. Kwan laced their fingers together and pulled Danny along as he headed for the exit of the bar. Danny smiled lightly as they walked together, almost not believing that he was taking this chance, but a thrill of excitement filled him. Part of him was hoping this night wouldn't end anytime soon.


	3. Raindrops on Windows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kwan shows Danny some of the city as they get to know each other a little better.

There was a carnival of sorts that popped up around town every once and a while, and apparently, Danny was in town on the right night because there was one set up only ten blocks away from Prestige. Danny couldn't remember the last time he went to a carnival. It was probably back when he was in high school, and that felt like forever ago to him. He did horribly at the ball toss game where he had to knock down those old fashion milk jar looking things. His cheeks felt warm with embarrassment when he couldn't even knock down one of them. Kwan, on the other hand, made the game look easy, knocking down the three pyramids of milk jars without missing.

"I played football in high school," Kwan explained with a shrug as Danny stared at him in amazement. When the pimply faced man working at the game stall returned with his prize, Kwan held it out for Danny to take. "Badgers. You know, that's the mascot for the university here?"

Danny laughed as he shook his head at the stuffed animal. "Yeah, my parents went there." They walked away from the game stall, Danny keeping the stuffed badger hugged to his chest.

"Really?" Kwan lifted an eyebrow in curiosity. "But then they moved away after college?"

Danny nodded. "They got jobs at a little company in Amity Park but then decided to build up their own company a year later. But," he sighed, "we had a bit of a drop in profit a couple years ago, so I came out here to meet with one of my parents old college friends. He runs a pretty successful company. Naturally, my parents didn't want to sell their company so I had to negotiate some sort of deal that would get him to help us out a bit while still leaving ownership with my parents. The details of that are really boring. But the short story is that he agreed, and now I have to fly out here every couple of months for meetings with him."

"I hope your parents' company is do better now."

"Oh yeah." Danny nodded, catching the concerned furrow on Kwan's face. "The business is doing fine now." He glanced toward Kwan as they wandered around the carnival. "Do you really make a lot of money with the whole street magician thing?"

Kwan shrugged a shoulder. "I do all right. If you find the right spot to perform, you can get a decent crowd. And _most_ of the time, they'll give you a tip." He stopped to get some cotton candy for them from one of the food stalls. "But," he said as he plucked off a chunk of fluffy blue cotton candy, "I also work at Prestige, which makes really good money."

Danny paused and blinked as something occurred to him. "We never paid for those beers."

Kwan shook his head. "Don't worry. Paulina knows. She'll have them taken out of my next paycheck. Oh!" He grinned. "Next time you're in town, you should see her dance. She is absolutely amazing. She does a lot of different styles. She's pretty much been studying dance since she was in diapers."

"Have you known her for that long too?" Danny asked curiously as he ate some of his own cotton candy, a soft green in color.

"Basically, yeah." Kwan chuckled. "We've been best friends since we were little. There was Dash too. He was the football captain. Paulina was the head cheerleader."

"So they were a couple?"

"For a while. We all kind of dated each other at one point or another. But we're just good friends now." Kwan smirked slyly. "Don't worry though. There are no lingering romantic feelings among any of us."

"Oh, I wasn't-" Danny shook his head, but he had had a touch of jealousy at the thought that Kwan might still like his friends as something more. He glanced over and saw Kwan smiling at him then had to duck his head as his heart fluttered in his chest. Why did Kwan have to look so good when he smiled like that with the little dimples in his cheeks? Was this the way Danielle felt when she first met Valerie?

A splash of water hitting his head snapped him out of his thoughts. Danny tilted his head up, blinking as a drop of rain hit his cheek. In only a few minutes, the rain came down harder and people attending the carnival started running for shelter. The people manning the food and game stalls and rides started closing things down, though they were lucky enough to be standing under tarps that protected them from the rain.

"My place isn't too far from here." Kwan grabbed hold of Danny's hand and started running.

Danny couldn't even think at the moment about arguing. The hotel where he and Danielle were staying was quite a walk away, and Danny didn't relish the idea of having to walk all the way back there in this rain. It only took them about five minutes to reach Kwan's apartment building.

"There are some towels in the bathroom," Kwan explained, pointing out where the bathroom was as he closed the door behind them. "You can take your clothes off, and I'll toss them in the dryer for you."

"Uh, right. Okay." Danny stumbled on his way to the bathroom, his cheeks burning. What was he doing? He closed the door, and he thought his heart might explode from how hard it was beating. He was in the apartment of a really hot guy, that he was obviously attracted to, and about to strip out of his soaking wet clothing. This almost felt like the set up to some cheesy romance movie where they would have some intimate conversation before they suddenly started making out and Kwan would be gone when he woke up in the morning. He rubbed a hand over his face. Maybe he should just leave. But he didn't really want to walk back to the hotel in the rain. It was cold, and he realized he was shivering in his wet clothing.

Pushing away silly thoughts about stupid romance movies, Danny yanked off his wet clothing. Then he found a towel with which he dried himself off the best that he could before wrapping it around his waist. With his clothes in hand, he stepped out of the bathroom to find Kwan there waiting for him. The man had already changed into some dry clothes, a tight black shirt and some sweatpants. He held an extra set of clothing in his hands.

"I thought you'd be more comfortable in something dry," Kwan explained. "But they might be a little big on you."

"That's okay." Danny shook his head as they exchanged clothes. Kwan wandered off to where his dryer was to toss the wet clothes in, and Danny ducked back into the bathroom to put on the clean clothes. Kwan was right. They hung a bit loosely on him, but they were dry and comfortable. When he stepped out again, Danny saw Kwan in the kitchen area brewing some coffee for them.

"Your clothes should be dry within an hour," Kwan said as Danny entered the kitchen area and took a seat at the table there.

"I don't think I'll be going anywhere until this rain stops anyway." Danny drew his legs up, his toes curling around the edge of his seat.

"If I knew it was going to rain, I would have suggested something else," Kwan murmured, concentrating on the coffee. "Do you want sugar and cream?"

"No, black is fine." Danny accepted the mug of coffee when Kwan handed it to him. He blew on it then sipped cautiously. The heat from it burned down his throat and made him feel warmer. Kwan joined him at the table a moment later, and for a silent moment, they sat there enjoying their coffees. "So," Danny mumbled, hands wrapped around the mug that he kept held close to his mouth, "you said you and your friends dated each other. Um, so," he shifted awkwardly, "how long have you known that you liked men too?"

Kwan leaned back in his chair with a thoughtful expression. "I guess it would be during sophomore year in high school. We were the last ones in the locker room after football practice. You know, showering after getting all sweaty on the field. And," he hunched up his shoulders, "Dash started teasing me like we usually do, just horsing around, when we were suddenly making out. It was kind of hard to deny that I felt attracted to men when something like that happened." He took another sip of his coffee then set it down on the table. He leaned his chin on his hand and grinned. "What about you? When did you figure out you liked men?"

Danny stared into his coffee, his face warming up. "Uh, in college." He gulped down the remainder of his coffee. "I was roommates with this guy named Johnny my freshmen year. He had that whole bad boy biker look going on. It was late one night, and he was helping me with one of my math classes. He was surprisingly really good at math. Anyway, one moment he's explaining math formulas, and the next moment we're locking lips and groping at each other like there was no tomorrow. We were only together for a month. Then he met this girl with neon green hair, and we were done. I haven't been with anyone since then." He flushed lightly, his gaze turning away when he realized that probably made him sound pathetic.

"There's nothing wrong with not being in a relationship, you know. There's no great rush to fall in love. You should just wait and let love find you."

Danny lifted an eyebrow at the street magician. "And are you about to tell me maybe love just found me?"

"It might be a little too soon to say that for certain." Kwan leaned more on the table. "But I'm definitely interested in pursuing this and seeing if it is love."

"Is this the part where we start making out like a pair of horny teenagers?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in that." Kwan smiled, his eyes flicking over Danny's body. "But I think we should get to know each other more before that. You're leaving in the morning after all. You wouldn't want this to be some one night stand, would you?"

Danny shook his head, because he really didn't want that. He was attracted to Kwan, but he wanted something more than one night of passion. Tension that he hadn't even realized had settled in his shoulders melted away as he felt more relaxed in knowing that Kwan didn't want to treat this as something merely physical. "I - I want to see if this is love." When Kwan smiled at him, Danny returned it as the rain pelted quietly at the windows in the apartment.


	4. A Parting Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny doesn't really want to say goodbye, but he has a flight to catch in the morning.

The rain had let up at least half an hour ago, but Danny didn't want to leave just yet, even knowing that he had an early flight tomorrow and should get some sleep before he had to get up and make sure everything was packed. He really enjoyed just sitting there with Kwan and talking about anything they could think of while they drank coffee. After he finished his coffee and set the mug down upon the table, he frowned at it.

"I should probably go," Danny forced himself to say, though it was tempting to just stay there all night with Kwan. "I have a flight-"

"You'll call sometimes, right?" Kawn asked, and when he lifted his head, Danny saw no sign that the man was upset with his announcement. Kwan looked rather understanding about it though a little disappointed.

Danny nodded, a smile tugging across his face. "I've still got your card." He reached into his pocket but then remembered that he wasn't wearing his own clothes.

Kwan laughed as he stood. "I'll go get your things from the dryer." His hand dropped onto Danny's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze as he passed.

When he was alone at the table, Danny casually hunched up his shoulders and burrowed his head into the sweatshirt, taking a deep breath of the clean smell of the clothing he wore. It was a silly thing to do, he knew that, but he couldn't help himself. He just wanted to have Kwan's scent engrained in his mind. A smoky smell mingled with the scent of grass like a sunny afternoon in the park and a hint of alcohol, probably from working at a bar. It wasn't that kind of cigarette smoke smell though. It had that kind of burning firewood quality and brought to mind the image of curling up by the fireside with Kwan. Danny smiled at that idea, feeling warm and cozy inside.

"Here you are," Kwan said as he returned with Danny's dry clothes thrown over his arm.

Danny jumped, dropping the sweatshirt as he sat up straighter. His cheeks warmed with a flush of color, but Kwan only offered him a smile as he held out the clean clothes. "Thanks," Danny mumbled, keeping his head bowed out of embarrassment as he stood up, accepting his clothes. "I'll just - I'll go change." He stumbled over his feet before he turned and headed to the bathroom. Reluctantly, he changed into his own clothes, almost sad about having to because it meant that his night with Kwan was coming to an end. He would return to Wisconsin again, of course, but it could be a few months or longer before he came back. What if Kwan bumped into someone else that he decided he liked more? Did Danielle have worries like that when she first met Valerie? Danny decided he would talk to his sister later since she would probably understand some of what he was feeling.

Leaving the clothes he borrowed in the hamper, Danny stepped out of the bathroom. He blinked, his blue eyes swimming with confusion when he saw that Kwan had put on a pair of jeans and a coat, the stuffed badger he won at the carnival in his hand.

"It's pretty early in the morning," Kwan explained, heading for the door of his apartment. "I thought I would walk you back to your hotel."

Danny nodded, and even if it was just an excuse to spend a little more time with him, he was really happy about it. The whole night had had that magical feel to it, that kind where he just never wanted it to end. But everything ended at some point. That was the sad truth about life. So he was happy to grab onto any excuse to extend the little time they had left before he would have to be on the airplane flying back to Amity Park. That thought reminded him of something. He dug into his pocket to retrieve his wallet then frowned at it.

"Oh, I took everything out before throwing your clothes into the dryer," Kwan said as he opened the door then shrugged as Danny's brow knitted slightly. "Just a habit. I hate accidentally leaving something in my pockets when I do the laundry then finding it trashed when I pull my clothes out of the dryer. I didn't look at anything if that's what you're worried about."

"I wasn't-" Danny shook his head. Maybe he had a little, but it wasn't like he had anything super valuable in his wallet. He only kept enough cash for a taxi, if he needed one, in his wallet and the card he would be using when they checked out of the hotel. His ID, of course, was there, and a few business cards. He didn't like having too much in his wallet when he travelled, just in case someone picked his pocket. After he pulled out one of the business cards, he held it out to Kwan. "I have your card, and now you have mine. My cell number is on there too."

With a smile, Kwan took the card and placed it into his own wallet. "I'll try not to call you when you might be busy with work." He waited for Danny to step into the hall before closing the door and locking up his apartment. They walked down to the ground floor of the building then stepped out onto the street. The sun hadn't risen yet, leaving the world in that gray light just before dawn. The streets were mostly empty, and the ground was still damp from the rain.

"I wish my stay here was longer," Danny confessed, lowering his gaze to the sidewalk as he frowned. "It's disappointing that we had this great night together, and now we might not see each other again for months."

"That is pretty disappointing," Kwan agreed, and his hand brushed against Danny's as they walked to the hotel. "There are so many things I could have shown you if you were staying longer. And I'd like to know more about you. What sort of things you like doing, what you were like growing up, favorite color. Et cetera, et cetera."

Kwan hooked a finger around Danny's, who fought back a blush. When he dated Johnny for that brief period, they had never really done the whole hand holding thing. It was actually mostly an "in the dorm room" kind of relationship. They didn't do anything outside of the dorm room to keep the rest of the college from finding out about them. He adjusted their hold, lacing thing their fingers together with a happy smile on his face.

"Well, there _is_ always calling while I'm away," Danny said, "and I'll be back in Wisconsin again. Vlad'll want another report sometime before the end of the year."

"I'll be counting the days until then." Kwan shook his head with a light smile. "Okay. I probably won't literally be counting the days. That seems kind of creepy and stalkery. But I'll definitely be looking forward to the next time you're in town. Hopefully, we'll have longer than one night to spend together."

Danny agreed, and he, too, would be waiting anxiously for his next visit to Wisconsin. Perhaps he could convince Danielle that they should stay for a week next time, which he realized probably wouldn't be too hard since Danielle would love more time to spend with Valerie. They reached the hotel all too soon, and Kwan accompanied him on the elevator ride up to his floor. A short, gray haired maid joined them in the elevator, ending their conversation about embarrassing high school moments. When they reached his floor, Kwan followed Danny off the elevator and down the hall to his room.

"I guess this is goodbye for now," Danny said, frowning at Kwan.

"For now," Kwan agreed, though he seemed as reluctant to say goodbye as Danny felt. From Danielle and Valerie, Danny already knew long distance relationships _could_ work, but they weren't without their frustrations and problems. "Would," Kwan scratched absently at his cheek as he looked away, "it be too soon to ask for at least a goodbye kiss? I know we said we wanted to go slow and see if this was real, but-"

Danny took the initiative, pulling Kwan to him. They stood flushed against each other, Danny's hands balled around the rough material of Kwan's coat as their mouths hovered a breath away from each other. Danny wasn't sure why he hesitated there when he _did_ want to kiss Kwan. Maybe it was just anxiety, the fact that he hadn't been with anyone since Johnny, which felt like forever ago. He didn't want to foul anything up with Kwan by acting too rashly. Kwan's hand cupped Danny's cheek, thumb brushing over his pale skin before he slid his hand back around Danny's neck. They kissed, and Danny's hands loosened on the coat. His hands slid up, and he wrapped his arms around Kwan's neck, pulling the man closer as their mouths moved against each other. It was better than any of the kisses he shared with Johnny. It was slow and caring and warm, not the rushed demanding ones of two horny college men, fumbling around to relieve some sexual frustration. This felt _real_ to Danny.

When they parted, Kwan leaned their foreheads together. "Hm," he murmured, grinning happily, "I will definitely be looking forward to doing that again sometime in the future."

"We'll have to do that more next time I visit," Danny mumbled, knowing he would be thinking about that kiss for a really long time. "I should probably get some rest though. And pack my things."

Kwan nodded then he grinned. "I hope you have sweet dreams."

Danny laughed breathily. "After a kiss like that? Definitely."

"Call me when you land. I want to know you made it home safely."

Danny nodded. "I will."

Kwan gave him a second, quicker kiss goodbye then, with much reluctance, he pulled away from Danny. Stuffing his hands into his coat pocket, he walked down the hall to the elevator. Danny watched him leave, his gaze drifting down Kwan's backside briefly before he snapped himself out of it. He opened the door to his hotel room, and the bed was a welcomed sight, even if he was only going to catch an hour or two of sleep. He could sleep more on the plane ride back to Amity Park. He collapsed onto the bed, smiling into the pillow and hugging the stuffed badger to his chest as he recalled everything that happened since he decided to call the number that magically appeared on the card Kwan gave him in the park.


	5. Long Distance Hardships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny takes the plunge and asks his sister for some advice.

"So what's the big emergency?" Danielle asked after nearly vacuuming the burger she ordered into her mouth. Danny was always amazed by his sister's appetite. It was almost nearly as bad as his own, yet somehow, she seemed to do it with a lot less mess. She licked a glob of sauce from her thumb that had leaked out of the burger as she ate then went for what remained of her fries. "Nasty Burger!" she exclaimed happily. "I forgot how good this place was."

Danny chuckled at her reaction. Nasty Burger had been one of the places all the teenagers in their high school hung out, though now as adults, they didn't visit the fast food joint as often. They had just missed the lunch rush, since their own lunch hour was at a later time than the high school, so he thought it would be a much quieter place to talk rather than the usual spots where the rest of their work ate. He really didn't care to be discussing certain aspects of his private life where his fellow co-workers might overhear them.

"I wouldn't exactly call it an emergency." Danny rolled his eyes as he picked up his soda to take a sip.

"Right." Danielle drew out the word, nodding though she looked like she didn't believe him even slightly. "That's why we're sitting in the Nasty Burger instead of that fancy restaurant that I originally had a reservation at for you." She cleaned her hands with her napkin then leaned on the table and grinned at him. "Would this happen to have anything to do with you mysteriously staying out all night even though we had an early flight the next morning?"

Danny flushed slightly as he looked away, scratching absently at a pink cheek. "Maybe."

"I knew it! I want details!" Danielle's blue eyes lit up with excitement. "Where did you go? You met someone, didn't you? Oh, oh!" She almost shouted as an idea struck her, and Danny was glad barely anyone else, besides the two employees standing around behind the cash registers, were in the restaurant. "It was that street magician, wasn't it?" Her grin stretched even wider as Danny's blush darkened a few more shades. "Aha! I knew you thought he was cute!"

"Yes, yes, I thought he was cute," Danny grumbled, shooting a glance toward the employees and the few other people in the restaurant. They had glanced their way when Danielle shouted but then quickly returned to their attention to whatever they had been doing. "The card he gave me had his phone number on it, so I decided to take the chance."

"I'm so proud of you!" Danielle reached across the table and punched him on the arm, a bit harder than necessary. "Jazz and I were taking bets on whether or not you'd die alone."

"Gee, thanks." Danny glared, but he supposed they had a point. He had pretty much closed himself off, focusing mostly on work, ever since college. "Anyway, I figured if I was going to get advice on all of this, you'd be the best person to talk to."

"I am pretty good with the relationship advice." Danielle grinned, puffing out her chest proudly.

Danny rolled his eyes. "I meant about the whole long distance thing. I mean, I can't just pick up and move to Wisconsin to be with him, and he has his life there so I wouldn't ask him to move to Amity Park. Besides, we've only spent one night together - And nothing happened!" He added quickly with a glare when he caught Danielle's wicked smirk.

"Oh?" His sister tried to look innocent. "Are you sure? You _were_ out _all night_ after all. How could I not assume that something happened between you?"

"We kissed. One time. That was it," Danny stated firmly, though Danielle didn't seem to buy it. "Okay. Two times, but the second one was really quick. Barely even a peck. We went to a carnival, but it started raining, so we went back to his apartment to wait it out. Nothing else happened. We just talked." Sighing, he raked a hand through his raven locks. "Anyway, there's obviously no guarantee that this relationship will work out in the end, and I definitely wouldn't want him moving or the other way around only to have things fall apart. So," he frowned at his sister, "how do you and Valerie make it work?"

Danielle shrugged as she leaned back against the booth. "You know we have our ups and downs. I know we make it look easy. But you don't see everything. It takes a lot of work, and it's really hard only getting to spend a day or two together whenever we fly into Wisconsin."

Danny stared at his sister for a moment. "Would you like to move to Wisconsin to live with her?"

Danielle blinked several times. "What? But work. And you'd forget about meetings and stuff without me."

Danny shrugged. "I can figure out how to do stuff on my own. How am I ever going to really be an adult if I have you always reminding me about everything?" he teased her with a grin. "I gotta stand on my own two feet at some point."

"Well," Danielle said, frowning as her brow furrowed, "that has been one of the things we talk about a lot. I'm not sure moving in together straight away is the best idea. So far, we've only operated as a long distance relationship with occasional visits over the years. Moving in together might cause... friction. We've both been living on our own few years now. Suddenly having a roommate? That might cause some arguments."

"Maybe next time we visit, you could stay behind for a while," Danny suggested, understanding his sister's concerns about making such a big decision. "Stay for a week or two. Maybe a month. You'd have the chance to get small doses of living with each other, or at least living in the same city, and that might help lessen any friction of just jumping into moving in together."

Danielle nodded, and her brother could see her working through the pros and cons of that suggestion. "Maybe," she said at last with another nod. "That might be a good idea. Valerie would definitely like it if I could visit for longer than a couple of days."

"I was thinking our next visit could be a week," Danny said, and he tried to keep his gaze off his sister. But his eyes kept getting drawn back to her and that annoyingly knowing smirk. "Yes, okay?" he grumbled in exasperation. "Yes, I want a longer visit in Wisconsin so I have the chance to see Kwan for more than just one night."

"Ah, so the street magician is named Kwan." Danielle laughed as her brother bowed his head, trying not to blush too much. "Aw come on! It's the first time you've been interested in someone in, like, forever. I have the right to tease you." She nudged him in the shin with her foot. "And hey, if it wasn't for me dragging you over to him, you might not have met him at all. I believe I deserve a thank you."

Danny rolled his eyes at the madly grinning woman sitting across from him. "Thank you for being an insufferable little sister that always drags me around even when I think it's a bad idea. Sometimes, you strike gold doing that."

Danielle stuck her tongue out at him. "Of course I do. I'm great at matching people up. Now get me a chocolate shake. I deserve that for finding you such a cute guy."

"Yes, of course," Danny said with a light chuckle as he stood to go order a chocolate shake, but he did agree that his sister did well forcing him to meet with Kwan that day. He couldn't wait for their next visit to Wisconsin in two months.


	6. A Pleasant Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny joins Elle on her quest for finding an apartment.

"So I hear you met someone."

Danny frowned at the smirk curving over Valerie's face. He turned to his sister, narrowing his eyes, but Elle looked away, trying to appear innocent. It was obvious she had spilled the news to Valerie during one of their many long distance conversations. He almost couldn't believe they were finally back in Wisconsin, and the moment they stepped foot out of the airplane, a tingle of excitement ran through him. He wanted to call up Kwan right away and set up a meeting time between them, but he had his responsibilities. He was here on business, after all, so that came first.

"You two are horrible gossips," Danny said, walking past them to check out the bedroom. After a brief lunch meeting with Vlad, the man gave them the rest of the day off to relax after the plane ride, so Danny agreed to tag along while Elle checked out apartments. He could tell his sister was excited about staying close to Valerie, but Elle wanted to find _the_ perfect apartment, which led to a lot of nitpicking from her.

"Oh, you're not getting away that easily!" Valerie followed after him with Elle laughing behind her. "I want to meet this guy."

"He doesn't even know I'm back in town yet," Danny explained, glancing around the room in his obvious attempt not to look at either of the two women. He feared if he did, he would end up blushing as bright red as a tomato.

"We can surprise him!" Elle suggested, sounding as eager as Valerie about meeting Kwan, though it would be her second time getting to meet the man who had sparked her brother's interest.

"I've only had one date with him," Danny complained, turning a frown onto the two women, who both wore eager, hopeful looks. "Isn't meeting family and friends this soon a bit overwhelming? I wouldn't want to scare him off."

"Oh, come on, Danny!" Elle threw an arm around his shoulders and gave him a little shake. "You've been talking to him pretty much every chance you get on the phone. I don't think after that he's going to freak out just meeting me and Valerie."

"And," Valerie added, coping Elle so Danny was sandwiched between the two of them, "you know we're just going to keep bugging you until you cave. We're very persistent that way."

"Ugh!" Danny groaned. "Fine." He folded his arms, glowering at them. "Now do you like this apartment or not?"

"Hm." Elle tapped her chin thoughtfully as she gave the bedroom another look. "It's nice. Lots of room. But maybe I should check a few more places just in case. I shouldn't pick the first place. I might find something better."

"Are you sure it's good to wait? Someone else might swoop in to steal this apartment." Danny eyed his sister. "You're just trying to get out of doing all the paperwork right now because you want to meet Kwan."

"Can't say I blame her." Valerie nodded in approval. "I'm looking forward to meeting him too."

Danny sighed out in defeat, seeing no way to get around having them meet Kwan, since they were determined to see what he was like. "You're both planning on embarrassing me, aren't you?"

"You know it!" Elle grinned impishly.

"Okay, okay." Danny checked the time on his watch. "Well, I think it's late enough that he'll probably be hanging out at Prestige by now."

"Prestige?" Valerie repeated, her eyes widening a touch as they headed out to meet with the realtor before they left. Elle walked over to the blonde woman waiting in the main room, fiddling with her cell phone, to talk to her.

"Yeah." Danny blinked while they waited at the apartment door. "What's wrong with that?"

Valerie shrugged with a frown upon her face. "It just seemed like the kind of place where weirdoes hanged out."

"It seemed like an okay place to me." Danny frowned, recalling the man who approached him when he first entered the bar. He didn't give Danny a good vibe, something about him simply feeling off, and Danny tried not to give him too much thought. Thankfully, Kwan showed up to spare him an awkward situation with that man. "It should be fine," he added with a shrug.

"Okay," Elle said as she skipped over to them. "Everything's settled. I told her I wanted to sleep on it before deciding. Let's go meet your lover boy."

"Please don't call him that when you meet him," Danny pleaded as they left the apartment.

After they exited the apartment building, they piled into Valerie's car with Elle claiming the front passenger seat. Danny had to give directions from the back of the car, once they were in an area he recognized. Nearly half an hour later, Valerie parked her car in a nearby lot. Then the three of them walked the rest of the way to Prestige. Danny stopped to stare up at the bar, and it looked exactly like he remembered it. Of course it was. Why would he expect it to change after such a short time? But the nervousness crept up on him. He had talked to Kwan during his time back in Amity Park, but they hadn't seen each other since he left Wisconsin. His insides fluttered, and a part of him felt a little sick.

After a deep breath, he managed to push himself to go inside the bar. It was loud, lots of people filling the bar and chatting as music played in the background. No live entertainment tonight.

"Wow," Elle breathed out as she stood beside him, her blue eyes sweeping around to take in everything. "This is totally the opposite of a place I would expect to find you in."

"Are you trying to say I'm boring?" Danny frowned at his sister, who shrugged and attempted to feign innocence.

"A cutie like you?" The familiar voice made Danny jump. "I couldn't imagine you being boring."

Danny flushed lightly as he turned his head and saw Kwan had torn himself away from a group at a nearby table. The magician approached him, his smile stretching wider as he neared Danny.

Valerie whistled lowly next to his ear. "He is hot."

"Told ya," Elle said smugly.

Kwan nodded in greeting to Elle and lifted his eyebrows in surprise at the other woman with them. He slipped a hand into one sleeve, and when he pulled it out, he held two roses. "For the ladies."

Danny frowned, almost pouted, as Elle and Valerie accepted the roses from him. "And what do I get?"

Kwan's aqua green eyes turned onto him, sparkling deviously as a smirk curled onto his face and he stepped closer. Danny's breath caught somewhere in his throat, heat rising to his cheeks. Kwan leaned in, his fingers threading through Danny's raven hair, and Danny met him halfway, their kiss slow and gentle. Okay. This was definitely better than receiving a rose. Danny smiled happily into the kiss.


	7. A Lasting Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once Valerie and Elle make their exit, Kwan leads Danny off to a private spot.

"Well, it's getting late, and," Elle covered her mouth with a hand as she pulled off a clearly fake yawn, "we should probably head back the apartment. Big day of apartment searching ahead of us tomorrow."

Danny rolled his eyes at the obvious excuse for Elle and Valerie to leave so Danny could have some alone time with Kwan. It wouldn't be their first date and they had spoke plenty of times on the phone and through texts and e-mails, but a thrill of nervousness still washed over him over the idea of being alone. They both wanted to see how the relationship went, what their feelings were for each other, before progressing to anything physical, but that didn't stop Danny from worrying about making himself look like a complete idiot in front of Kwan.

"Do you want me to come with you tomorrow?" Danny asked as Elle and Valerie slid out of the booth.

"I think we can manage it on our own for one day." Elle leaned in for a hug then whispered in his ear, "Try not to have too much fun with the hottie."

"Elle!" Danny's face burned red, both embarrassed by her comment and how whiny his voice sounded.

Elle stuck her tongue out playfully. "It was great meeting you again," she told Kwan. "For more than two seconds in the park."

Kwan smiled in returned. "It has been a great pleasure to spend my evening in the company of two lovely and charming ladies."

Valerie gave Danny a nudge in the shoulder. "Oh, he's definitely a keeper." She smirked at his blushing face. "Don't stay out too late, you two." She slipped her hand into Elle's hand and pulled her girlfriend toward the exit of the bar.

"So your sister," Kwan said, leaning on the table and resting his head in his hand as he lifted his eyebrows curiously.

"Pretty much always." Danny laughed with a nod. "I have this friend named Sam, who is a girl. When Elle was about six, she would say she was going to marry Sam one day." He shook his head with an amused smile. "My parents thought it was just a thing kids said sometimes. But I guess Elle always kind of knew she was more interested in girls than guys. I think the last time a guy asked Elle out, she was sixteen and punched him into balls for being a sleaze ball. She was sent home for a week from school, but I was kind of proud of her."

Kwan cringed. "I'm glad that wasn't me." Sitting up again, he took a swig of his beer. "And your parents never had any problems with it?"

"Well," Danny shrugged, "they're a little disappointed that we're not likely to give them grandkids. But they'd rather we be happy so they're supportive as long as, you know, we're not in a bad, abusive relationship." He picked at the label on his beer. "Ah, but there's also my older sister Jazz. She's a psychologist, and she's been with this guy for about three years now. My parents have been waiting for that phone call where my sister announces they're finally getting married."

Kwan hummed as he nodded. "Sounds like you had a good family."

Danny paused with his beer halfway to his mouth. Frowning, he placed the bottle back down on the table. "I'm sorry." He glanced toward Kwan. "About your parents."

Kwan shook his head and smiled, though it hardly reached his aqua green eyes. "It's fine. I got over that a long time ago. I'm much happier having gotten away from them."

"Yeah, but," Danny lowered his gaze, "it still sucks. Parents are supposed to care for their children and love them no matter what. I know that's sort of an idealist view, but that's what I think, even if it doesn't hold true for all families." When he felt the brush of lips against his cheek, Danny jerked his head up then turned to the man sitting beside him.

Kwan wore a faint smile that still looked more real than the last one. "I like that you have such a good heart. Your parents must be very proud of the man your grew up into."

Danny blushed so darkly he was certain it reached even to the tips of his ears. "It's getting pretty stuffy in here," he said with an awkward laugh. "Do you want to go for a walk?" When Kwan gave a nod, Danny felt relieved. The Prestige was a nice bar, but a lot of people frequented it, making it feel a bit overwhelming for Danny when he actually paid attention to the noise made by all the chatting at different tables.

Slipping out of the booth, Danny stepped aside as Kwan followed after him. Once they were outside, he felt like he could breathe again, and the cool night air felt good against his still heated cheeks. They walked along in silence for a few minutes before Danny couldn't take it anymore and had to say something to break it.

"Is there anything going on tonight?" Their last date had gotten interrupted by a sudden downpour of rain while they were at a carnival.

Kwan held a hand to his chin in thought but eventually shook his head. "Unfortunately, you stopped by on a sort of dead night. But if you have some free time tomorrow, we can hit the strip where Paulina likes to perform." Then a grin tugged at his mouth, and he grabbed Danny's hand. "But I have an idea."

"Where are we going?" Danny asked as Kwan dragged him down the street.

"It's a surprise!" Kwan tossed a grin over his shoulder then continued leading the way.

Danny wasn't sure about a surprise. He remembered surprises from high school, which usually involved being shoved into lockers or having his head crammed into a toilet while a jock flushed it. But even though Kwan had the whole jock physique going for him, Danny doubted the street magician's surprise involved any of the usual torment from high school. Danny followed along after Kwan, wondering the whole time what the surprise could be. There were simply too many possibilities! But when they arrived at the park where they first met, Danny blinked in surprise.

"The park?" he questioned curiously.

"Yeah, there's this nice little spot around the center of the park. And at this time of the night, there won't be anyone else around."

The comment only increased Danny's curiosity. What did Kwan want to show him in the park so late at night? The creepy thought of Kwan being a serial killer came to mind, but Danny banished that immediately. Kwan didn't strike him as the serial killer type. He hoped.

After a few minutes, they reached a small lake in the middle of the park. The spot Kwan led them to had a tree near the lake's edge, and the low hanging branches stretched out over the water. Fallen leaves of gold and red drifted idly in the lake. It was a nice spot to sit and relax and simply take in and enjoy nature for a while. It was probably a grand sight to see in the daylight. But there was something about the way the silver light of the moon shimmered over the water of the lake that made Danny feel like they had stepped into some mystical realm.

"This is nice," Danny said as they took a seat at the base of the tree, leaning back against the thick trunk. "Is this where you come to relax while doing street performances?"

"Sometimes." Kwan wore a crooked grin, and Danny wasn't sure what to think of it. Lifting a loosely closed fist, Kwan brought his hand to his mouth. When he blew into his hand, tiny lights burst out the other side of his hand and danced about in the air.

"Ah!" Danny gasped when he realized what those lights actually were. "Fireflies!" His mouth hung open as he watched the fireflies flying about them and over the lake, filling the area with their soft golden glows.

"I thought you'd appreciate that trick." Kwan smiled, his gaze focused on Danny and the look of wonder on his face.

"It's amazing!" Danny had never seen so many fireflies in one spot before, and the setting only made it seemed more magical. He smiled at Kwan. "Thanks for this. It's really-" He shook his head, not sure how else to describe it but as amazing. "No one has ever done something like this for me."

"I hope I'm setting the bar too high on romantic outings." Kwan scratched at his cheek, appearing somewhat embarrassed.

Danny laughed, shaking his head. "No, you don't have to try to be super romantic all the time." He smiled as he leaned toward Kwan. "Though every once in a while is nice." He closed the distance, and their lips met in a tentative kiss. Most of his experience kissing came from his relationship with Johnny, but Danny would definitely say Kwan was his favorite person to kiss. He smiled as Kwan returned the kiss. That moment could have lasted for an eternity as they explored each other's mouth, hands threading through hair and arms wrapping around necks, with the light of fireflies dancing around them. It was a memory Danny knew he would keep with him for the rest of his life.


	8. A Small Proposal

"You're friend is a really amazing dancer," Danny said as he walked with Kwan down a path in the park.

Kwan nodded with a small curl of his mouth. "She was always an amazing dancer. I still think she should have gone to school for it. Maybe she'd be dancing on a big stage performing for thousands rather than on the street for whomever walks by. But," he shrugged, "we never could convince her to go."

"Not sure why I had to wear sunglasses though." Danny glanced sideways at the man beside him as he lifted an eyebrow curiously.

"Just a, um," Kwan refused to look at him as he scratched at his cheek with a finger, "precaution."

Danny eyed the man suspiciously. "Well, that doesn't sound like you're not telling me everything or anything."

Kwan offered him a smile. "It's nothing to worry about."

His mouth drew into a frown. Danny didn't like thinking Kwan was withholding information from him, but maybe Kwan had a reason for it. He sighed, deciding it was sometimes best not to push too hard. Sometimes a person didn't want to discuss things until further down the line in a relationship. Maybe it was a secret of Paulina's and Kwan didn't want to betray her trust by telling Danny. Even knowing these possibilities, Danny couldn't ignore a little frustration.

"So, um, she's wearing her hair differently now, isn't she?" Danny remembered when she served them the first time Danny met Kwan at Prestige.

Kwan bobbed his head. "Yup. About a week ago, she decided she wanted to try something new. When she turned up at Prestige next time, she had an undercut." He leaned in close, cupping a hand over his mouth. "I think it was because of a recent breakup, but she'd probably punch me for suggesting it."

Danny thought he could understand the reasoning. If he had a bad break up, he might feel the need to do something to shake things up in his life. He nudged Kwan in the ribs with his elbows, cracking a small smile. "I promise I won't tell her you said that."

"Oh good." Kwan breathed out like he was relieved. "I don't think she'd like me saying anything about it. So," he slipped his hand into Danny's hand, lacing their fingers together, "is there anything else you want to do?"

Danny contemplated the question. Kwan wanted to take him to see his friend dance since the first time they met. Now that it was done, Danny didn't have any plans. It was still early afternoon, and he didn't have any work meetings to interrupt their time together. He didn't need to go off and do something overly romantic, though. He was happy enough just spending time with Kwan, even when it was just sitting in a quiet apartment with a nice cup of hot coffee and listening to the rain against the windows. Sometimes, it almost scared him how much he had fallen for Kwan and how quickly, but it also excited him. When he wasn't in Wisconsin, he was thinking about how long until his next visit, the next time he would see Kwan in person and get to spend his free time with him.

Danny was about to respond when something caught his eye. It was just a simple sign, handmade with paints, but it was colorful enough to catch people's attention. "How about that?" He tried not to sound too hopeful as he pointed to the sign. He lifted his gaze to Kwan, trying to gauge the man's reaction by his facial expression.

Kwan turned to see the sign, and his eyebrows lifted, mostly in surprise. "If that is what you want." He lifted their clasped hands and kissed the back of Danny's hand.

Danny's face burned at the small show of affection as Kwan pulled him along in the direction of the event in the park. There wasn't a large crowd when they arrived, only a few people scattered around as what looked like a father and son set up things before the launch.

"When I was six, I always dreamed of being an astronaut," Danny admitted to Kwan. "I was obsessed with learning everything I could about space. I even begged and begged until my parents agreed to send me to space camp over the summer. But," he sighed, lifting his head to frown at the blue sky, "it was a lot harder to achieve that dream than I thought."

"Do you regret that you never reached that dream?"

Danny snapped his gaze to Kwan after hearing the hint of sorrow, maybe, in the man's voice. He tried to get a read on Kwan but couldn't pick out any emotion on his face. Then Danny shook his head. "I used to be sad about it. But my job's not so bad. And," he bit his lip as he stepped closed, almost leaning into Kwan, "I never would have met you if I had become an astronaut."

"I'm glad I met you too." Kwan sneaked a quick kiss to Danny's temple before a noise distracted them.

The rocket built by father and son soared into the sky, leaving behind a trail of smoke. Danny tilted his head back, watching the rocket ascend until it reached its peak. He whistled lowly at the height it managed. It was a fairly well built rocket to achieve such height. The father clapped a hand to his son's shoulder, both excitedly watching the result of their hard work. Danny smiled at the sight, recalling times when he would blather on and on about space and astronauts and rockets to his parents, who would smile and nod along to everything he said, taking an interest simply because it interested him.

Kwan moved to stand behind Danny then wrapped his arms around the man, enveloping him in a warm embrace. "I miss you every time you have to leave," he whispered, his chin basically resting on Danny's shoulder.

Danny sighed sadly as he leaned back into Kwan. He knew they hadn't known each other for a long time, but he felt so comfortable with Kwan that it sometimes felt like they could have known each other for years. "Yeah," he agreed quietly, "I miss you too."

"What if I went back to Amity Park with you?"

Danny spun around at the question, his blue eyes growing wide. "Wait." He frowned, placing a hand against Kwan's chest. "No," he shook his head, "I don't want you leaving behind your home for me."

Kwan blinked at the refusal. Then the corner of his mouth twisted in an amused smirk. "I was just talking about for a visit. I'd like to see where you live. You could introduce me to your friends and family. Unless," he pulled back but took hold of Danny's hands, "that's too soon for you. I don't want you to think I'm rushing things."

Danny smiled, resisting that tickle of laughter trying to bubble up his throat. "In that case, I would love for you to come to Amity Park with me." He leaned in, closing the distance between them for a quick kiss.


End file.
